Operating a drone over prisons, jails, juvenile detention facilities, or military installations without permission is now a Class 6 felony (a more serious crime than before). Law enforcement officers are authorized to use countermeasures and mitigation techniques to stop illegal drones, and the Department of Public Safety will create rules and training programs to guide officers on which techniques are allowed and how to use them.
This amendment completely rewrites the bill, shifting it from prohibiting drone surveillance of state military installations with specific law enforcement interception powers to a narrower focus on increasing penalties for operating drones over prisons, correctional facilities, jails, and military facilities—reducing the violation from a Class 6 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor while establishing a rulemaking process for mitigation techniques rather than explicitly authorizing jamming, hacking, and physical capture.
The change from engrossed to enrolled version removed the "hog house" warning label and formatting markup, but substantively changed the penalty for operating drones over restricted facilities from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony, significantly **strengthening** the enforcement provisions of the bill.
Signed by the Governor H.J. 562
Delivered to the Governor H.J. 546
Signed by the President S.J. 512
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 542
Senate Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 34, NAYS 0. S.J. 481
Judiciary Certified uncontested, placed on consent S.J. 34
Judiciary Do Pass Passed, YEAS 7, NAYS 0. S.J. 34
Judiciary Scheduled for hearing S.J. 1
First read in Senate and referred to Senate Judiciary S.J. 398
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 61, NAYS 5. H.J. 423
Military and Veterans Affairs Certified uncontested, placed on consent
Military and Veterans Affairs Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 11, NAYS 0.
Military and Veterans Affairs Motion to amend
Military and Veterans Affairs Scheduled for hearing H.J. 1
Military and Veterans Affairs Scheduled for hearing
First read in House and referred to House Military and Veterans Affairs H.J. 219
Prime sponsor · Sen.
R
Prime sponsor · Rep.
R
Judiciary — Do Pass
Do Pass Amended
Military and Veterans Affairs — Do Pass Amended